The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (B’Tselem) criticized the government’s honoring of a rabbi who participated in the demolition of homes in the Gaza Strip, arguing that this recognition proves that “genocide has officially become part of the national narrative” in Tel Aviv.
Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev chose the extremist rabbi Avraham Zarbiev to light a torch during the so-called “78th Independence Day” celebrations, which commemorate the establishment of Israel in 1948 on the ruins of Palestine.
The official “Independence Day” ceremonies were held yesterday evening, during which 12 torches, symbolizing the tribes of Israel, were lit by individuals supposedly who have made significant contributions to Israel.
In a statement, B’Tselem quoted Zarbov’s past remarks during a television interview in which he boasted about the destruction of Gaza, saying: “The Palestinians have nothing to return to in Rafah and Jabalia. Tens of thousands of families have no identity papers, no childhood photos, no ID cards, no home, they have nothing.”
The organization added that “bestowing this great honor on someone who committed war crimes and boasted about leveling Gaza as part of his work as a reserve bulldozer driver demonstrates the extent to which the dehumanization of Palestinians has become entrenched in the Israeli mainstream.”
It considered this “another frightening sign that genocide has officially become part of the national narrative.”
